Wire-fence clamp



F. JOHNSON. WIRE FENCE CLAMP.

(No Model.)

NO. 606,461. Patented June 28', 1898.

Gama/1,6

IlNrrnn I FERDINAND JOHNSON, OF NEW LONDON, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-FENCE CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,461, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed March 29, 1898.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that'I, FERDINAND JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New London, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Clips or Clamps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in wire-fence clamps, and more particularly. to that form of clamp employed to secure the horizontal wires to the plane faces of the vertical stay-wires; and the object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, eifective, and durable device of this character.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims. 1

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me; but many changes inthe details might be made within the skill of a good mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the device.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved wire-fence clamp. Fig. 2 shows the same in use. Fig. S-shows another way of applying the clamp. Fig. 4 is a'plan view of the clamp-blank. Fig. 5 is another form of the same. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the same. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing it in place on the stay-rod and fence-wire. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the clamp shown in Fig. 7.

1 denotes the fence-wire, and 2 the stayrod, and, as will be seen, the fence-wire is of the usual cylindrical form, while the stay-rod is semicylindrical,being formed with a curved back 3 and a plane face 4, which forms a broad flat bearing for the fence-wire. Of course I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to a semicylindrical or semi-e1- liptical stay-rod, as it is evident that any suit- Serial No. 675,576. on an.)

able form may be used, the main object being to have a sufficiently broad surface as to be time sufficient strength to prevent the cattle from spreading the fence wires or bars, and also permit of a person climbing, ladder-fashion, over the fence without crooking or bending the fence-wires or the stays.

Referring to Fig. 5, 5 represents the sheetmetal clamp, which isformed with a solid central portion 6, from which extend in opposite directions the horizontal arms 7 7, terminating at their outer ends in the rigl1t-angular webs 8 S, from which the alined fingers 9 9 extend inwardly at right angles to said webs and parallel with the arms 7 7. It will be observed that the free ends 1O 10 of the fingers 99 are recessed to prevent lateral slipping of the fence-wire 1.

As shown in Fig. 6, the central portion 6 conforms, to'the curved back 3 of the stayrod, which it snugly hugs when in place, and the fingers 9 9 are turned outwardly in opposite directions, as shown, so as to leave room for the insertion of the fence-wire between the recessed ends 10 10 of the fingers and the rightangular shoulders 12 12 of the central portion 6 of the clamp, so that when in place the fingers can be forced inwardly toward each other and rigidly bind the fence-wire against the plane face of the stay-rod. From this construction it will be observed that the stayrods can be secured to the fence-wires at any point after the fenceis built or a clamp can be replaced on a stay-rod between two fencewireswithout disturbing the clamps above or below it.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 I have shown the clamp formed with duplicate arms 7. 7, corresponding to the arms 7 7, so as to add to the strength and rigidity of the joint when made.

While I have illustrated my improved fenceclamp in connection with a cylindrical fence wire or bar, it is evidentthat itis equally applicable to the usual twisted barbed -wire strands or the broad spiral ribbon, or, in fact, any other material used for fence wires or .bars, the gist of the invention being in the clamp as adapted to any formof fence wire or rod, as well as any shape, style, or form of stays, and although the clamps are shown readily visible to the stock, and at the same as being semicylindrically bent to conform to the stay shown they can be bent in any form to accomplish the end in View.

I desire to state here that I consider the form shown in Fig. 3 to be an ideal clamp for the purpose for which it is intended; but there are uses to which I apply it in which'I may dispense with the solid central or back portion 6, and therefore for this reason I have placed parallel horizontal dotted lines on Fig. 4 to show the form of the blank with this solid central portion cut out of the blank.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and useful, and desire to 1 secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

1. A wire-fence clamp consisting of a body portion formed with parallel arms, webs protially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

FERDINAND JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

SOPHIE M. DIoKEY, A. MCCORMICK. 

